Kevin Love is the type of player who needs the ball passed to himn in his spots, doesn't matter whose playing alongside him, which is why his spots basically became spot up shooter in Cleveland, despite him being a great post player. Here? the issue isn't Harden, he's more than willing to pass the ball to players in their spots, the problem is that Dwight will likely continue to try and force himself into those post ups. The guy is too much of a combination of idiot and ego to sacrifice for the team, and I'm pretty sure it'd be hard to convince anyone otherwise.
Dwight gave up significant post up touches upon his return after his knee injury going into the post-season. I'm not sure if there is any correlation but what happened afterwards was a very lengthy playoff run backed by Harden, and Howard's rim protection. I'm hoping Dwight has turned a corner. I do think the Rockets could make it work with Love in Houston, but that's not the point of what I was trying to get at. Its the perception that Love and his agent will have about going to another Cleveland-like situation. Love is going to want an offense that looks more like the Adelman-style offense that gave Love the ability to create. The high P&R offense will assume that Love gets put in the corners often to space the floor. Again... I'd love to see the Rockets try and make it work if he was willing to take a chance on McHale and Harden. But I just don't see it especially with what we saw from Dragic and his people purposefully avoiding Houston to be a star player in a large market where they can have an offense built around them.
The agent might say that, but the agent might also realize what Love undoubtedly knows for sure by now - he has a growing reputation as a "non-winner" or a "stat-padder", not just in the media, but among his colleagues. Non of the teams you mention help change that trend. Maybe Chicago... but that seems like an unlikely option. The Suns WOULD HAVE been interesting 6 months ago. Now, I have no clue what their "plan" is. Will Love come to Houston and put up 27 and 15? No, of course not. The only teams he'll ever be able to do that on again, are teams that suck. His flaws are too apparent by now. But can Love come to Houston and put up 22 and 12, on efficient true shooting, with a nice mix of 3's, 2's, rolls to the rim, post-ups and put backs? Absolutely. Of course the Rockets don't run amazing, Warriors like offense... but that is as much due to the players as the system. The Rockets had BEAUTIFUL free-flowing offense 3 years ago. Harden was less ball-dominant. But the team didn't make the playoffs. They exchanged offensive players for better 2 way players, James became more ball dominant, they were still very good offensively, and now are decent defensively, too. The Clippers play PnR. The Spurs play PnR. For all the Warriors schemes, the Rockets got beat, time and time and time again by... PnR!! The NBA is about mismatches. Get your fast, amazing shooter/creator/ballhandler guarded by a much taller, but slower, unaccustomed to being on the perimeter big man, and exploit from there. Harden is a willing passer. More than willing. And a really good one, too. And the Rockets know how to swing the ball. And best of all, every time the Rockets had a good performance from the PF, the offense looked amazing and flowed beautifully. Kevin Love can come to Houston and be REALLY REALLY good, and REALLY REALLY important. He could also come to Houston and clash with Dwight. But Dwight will get in line. Dwight's days of pretending to be like Lebron are LONG gone. The botched Magic departure. The botched Laker season. Missing half a season. It's shut up and play for Dwight. Fine, LMA, Love, whatever... lol!
If he cared about his reputation as a non winner he would stay in cleaveland in the first place. IF he leaves everyone will know that his ego surpasses his ambition tobe a winner wherever else he goes.
Geez, the Hate for Love is strong around here. Sure, he probably enjoyed being the Stats Alpha Male in Minnesota. But "if he leaves Cleveland he isn't interested in winning" was the same stuff I was hearing about Harden when he left OKC. In Cleveland he's kinda redundant. LeBron is a 3/4 who can shoot the 3. Thompson cleans up the boards. And he's probably not really wanted there, anyway. If he could jump ship (albeit via trade) to a potential championship contender, in part due to his presence, while leaving a team where the need for him is minimized, then let all the LeBron suck-nuts say what they want. (Now, if he went and signed with Philadelphia or Boston, well.....another story.) Not saying it's likely. But look how far Cleveland has reached with 43.87% of Kyrie and no Kevin Love. Now, replace Love with strong players to bolster their lineup. And imagine our second offensive option as a 40% 3 point shooting 4 reunited with his old coach and Team USA buddy.
Cleaveland has a free way tothe finals for as long Lebron doesnt decline massively. No hate for love but facts are facts. Whoever leaves that situation for less $ on topof that doesnt care about rings.
I know all of this. I believe Houston would be a great fit. However I'm helping folks realize the business side and what is likely going on in conversations behind the scenes with Love and his agents. Rockets fans on here will go ape-sh#$ if something leaks out negatively about Harden, Howard, Morey, or the city of Houston in general. They need to be prepared for that free agency game IF Love doesn't want to be pursued by Houston because he wants to drive down the price for his suitor or wants them out of the picture to avoid a S&T scenario all together.... again.... IF he decides to opt out and go elsewhere to be "The Man". We shall see if Love opts to stay with a winner, or go try and be The Man elsewhere. If he wants to leave, I think it says alot about his motives and therefore probably puts him somewhere like LA similar to Dragic's decision to force his way to Miami. Temper expectations folks. Don't get all worked up thinking that I'm bashing some dream we all have. I'd love to have Love if it is possible and thinks Morey should of course try.
Why do you think that was leaked out???? Could it possibly be that Morey was trying to trade for Love and Love wanted to go elsewhere or was being pushed to go elsewhere? Even with Dwight Howard, NBA public enemy #1, players aren't going to go out of their way to bash him publicly. Even guys like Durant, and KG who had issues with him on-the-court aren't going public to bash him. This is just how these things work from a trade/free agency perspective in order for players to dictate where they go. Remember when the Rockets were about to trade for Dwight Howard and it got leaked out that there was "No Way Dwight would re-sign in Houston", and then he immediately picked up his last year on his deal? I'm sure there were leaks at the time of the Dragic trade season where there was something brought up about Morey treating him like an asset by not giving him the final year PO. This is strategic fellows. DO NOT get offended by this type of stuff. Its a calculated business decision to leak this type of info.
Houston has a few issues that are not completely Howard's or Hardens fault. They do not run really run any real plays they just give Harden the ball and let him create. We were losing to the Clippers for that reason. This also other than in pick and roll situations makes DH12 less effective. For those who want to ask, it worked better with Goran, because he's a point guard and everyone was still in their natural playing position. Houston scored very well on Golden State the few times Harden played off the ball, something Houston also did very well against the Clippers in 4 qtr of game 6. This is something that they should use a plan A rather than plan Z. Defensively they do not practice or have accountability for rotations and transition defense. You saw how defense should be played with Golden State and San Antonio (an older team). Houston needs a point guard who not only runs the offense, but holds the team accountable for bad defensive rotations. Would getting a Kevin Love or LA help of course, but with the offensive and and defensive lapses like we saw in the play-offs, Houston will never win anything. To really get this right this is something that has to be priority number 1 in October and already exercised by game 1 of the regular season. Will it need to be improved upon as the season goes along? Likely and that's expected, but it cannot be something that is ignored or turned on and off.
Sorry, I call BS. If Cleavesburg wins it all without Love is he a winner all of a sudden? Real life, even real NBA life, isn't just black and white, one dimensional existence. I have no clue what Love will do, wants to do, or any of that. But a loser? Whiner? Ego bruised or whatever? Please give the distant amateur psychobabble a pass.
Cleavesburg ahahahahhah :grin: (is this how to call a hillbilly place in english? ) Hey i dont make the media narrative.if someone leaves a finalist and one of biggest future contenders for less $ he is named a loser.
When I worked in NE Ohio natives oft referred to the main town as Cleavesburg. Your typo was why I added it. As for narrative? Narrative in today's environment is another word for bullcrap. IMO, of course.
Ok got it. I always hear how bad city it is thats why i asked. Narrtive is important in tpdays world of media...esp for someone like love a star who wants commercials. Only the lakers and knicks machine will be able to save him. has nothing to do with pure bball..but these things matter as we saw with drgic..and dwight to a lesser degree.
Why do so many guys have issues with Dwight? He honestly seems like a nice likable guy. He lashes out on court sometimes when he's being beaten up and hacked but anyone would.
